The Trussville Tribune – October 12 - 18, 2022

The

Argo Council approves purchase of city seal

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

ARGO – The Argo City Council passed a motion on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, to ap prove $1,300 for the purchase

a city seal, which will be displayed behind the dais in the council chambers.

Betty Bradley said that Judge Carl Chamblee Jr.

Sing-A-Thon at Trussville Social for Down Syndrome Alabama

The Tribune staff

TRUSSVILLE — The 8th Annual Sing-A-Thon to raise donations for Down Syndrome Alabama will be held on Mon day, October 17, from 6 p.m.

Rob Langford has hosted the event for the past eight

Ad valorem tax vote for Springville, Odenville in November: ‘Growth is still coming’

By Hannah Curran Editor

ST. CLAIR COUNTY —

The ad valorem tax vote for Springville and Odenville is taking place on Nov. 8, and St. Clair County Super intendent Justin Burns and Springville Middle School Principal James Talton came on Tribune Unscripted on Thursday, Oct. 6, to discuss the importance of voting.

“The town of Springville is busting at the seams,” Burns said. “There’s houses going in everywhere, and if you’ve walked into any of the schools in Springville, you’ll see that they are also busting at the seams and they’re at ca pacity. We’re meeting in clos ets, in hallways, and having classrooms anywhere you can have a classroom. Growth is still coming.”

Burns explained that the ad valorem narrowly failed went it went to the polls in October 2021, but he said that many people spoke up about how they took the vote for granted.

“They felt like the tax was going to pass and should have passed, but they just didn’t show up to vote,” Burns said. Burns said the parents and the community brought a res olution to the Board of Edu caiton saying that they want to vote on this tax because it provides more for the schools and students.

“We’re going to get an op portunity to show that we’re going to do exactly what we said we’re going to, and we’re

going to support our schools, and we’re going to support our kids,” Burns said. “We’re going to meet those needs, and we’re going to show you that this is important, because we know we’re willing to take a stand.”

The Springville commu nity brought a petition for a resolution that asks for a 15-millage vote. This would go strictly towards a new Springville Middle School.

In October 2021, the pop

ulation at Springville Elemen tary School (SES) was near ing 1,000, and Springville Middle School (SMS) was nearing 650. Springville High School (SHS) was nearing 800. SES is now beyond the expected capacity for which it was built.

The ad valorem tax this year would not offer the turfed football field or performing arts center. It would soley fo

Trussville PD receives full access to all TCS schools

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

PINSON – The Pinson City Council discussed up coming city holiday events, including Veteran’s Day and the Christmas parade, at a regularly scheduled council

Council hears request

By Nathan Prewett For the

MOODY – The Moody City Council heard a request

Hall

By Hannah Curran Editor

TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City School (TCS) Board of Education (BOE) announced at their board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 4, that the Trussville Police Department (TPD), not just SROs, would have full access to all the schools in TCS.

Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush explained that TPD has had access in the past, but “for some reason, it was taken

away.”

“I think that it’s going to definitely create a safer envi ronment with us, the whole department, having access to the schools, all the schools,” Rush said. “The SROs just had access to their schools, but this would mean full ac cess.”

Board Vice President Kim DeShazo explained that it’s a very important step for law enforcement to have access to the schools.

“If there were an emer

gency at one of the schools, the SROs and any member of the police department can come in,” DeShazo said. “It’s one of those needs that we didn’t know existed.”

Rush said that the depart ment is gathering informa tion to activate all the key cards for the officers, and they should be able to enter the schools soon. Rush said he will be issuing a directive on the proper use of the key cards to his officers.

DeShazo also explained

that independent organiza tions have contacted her and offered their services to help with Threat Assessment pro tocols, present policies and procedures, and training. She forwarded all the information to Rush, who she believes is better equipped to determine the best course of action.

Rush explained that he actively working through the process of vetting everything out and should have a more precise plan to present to the board at the Oct. 17 meeting.

Center Point Community Center

POINT — Cen

Point Community Center Fitness

Annual Bootcamp for Breast

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

IRONDALE – The Iron dale City Council unanimous ly approved Resolution 2022R-188 on Wednesday, Oct. 5, authorizing Mayor James D. Stewart Jr to execute an

New Awakening Recovery Services hosts annual Beauty for Ashes Recovery Conference

Tribune staff reports

TRUSSVILLE — In part nership with UAB Arts in Medicine, New Awakening Recovery Services hosted

Merit System employees,

from

successfully complete

programs

presents 3rd Annual Bootcamp for Breast Cancer

Pinson Council approves budget for Veteran’s Day Luncheon, discusses Christmas parade

Irondale Council authorizes mayor to spend $1 million on property for new library

Springville Middle School

Tree Talk: Check your trees, please

By Katie Wiswall

Urban and Community Forestry Partnership Coordi nator Alabama Forestry Com mission

I live in a condominium community that sits on about 8 acres of land, most of which is still natural forest. I wake up to birdsong at my window and return home from work to dappled shade in our parking lot. I have a pear tree (the real kind) growing by my back deck and a crape myrtle at my front door. I am, by training and vocation, a forester, and as you can imagine, I LOVE my little neighborhood.

During the early days of the pandemic, I walked to a neighbor’s door, and she asked, “What do you think is wrong with that tree?” I looked up and realized that a large ash tree overhanging the area where the children play was looking decidedly ill. Many of the branches at the top had no leaves; others had tiny leaves, and a couple of branches were obvious ly dead. One had even fall en within the tree and was lodged across a lower branch, poised to fall with the next good wind! How could I not have noticed that this tree had serious issues?

Simple – I was what my boss refers to as “tree-blind.”

Too often, we enjoy our trees but take them for grant ed and don’t really LOOK at them. To me and my neigh bor, that tree was fine yes terday and a danger today, but honestly, that’s not how trees work. Barring a light ning strike or damaging wind event, trees don’t die (or get obviously sick) overnight.

Most often, tree death is what I liken to being pecked to death by ducks – it takes a long time, and it leaves plen ty of bruises along the way. I simply didn’t see the tree until I was forced to see the tree.

Thankfully, we took care of the tree before it caused any damage or injured any one; however, that is not al ways the case. Some insur ance studies have shown that most trees that fail during storms had pre-existing de fects or diseases that could have been addressed. And early intervention starts with SEEING your trees.

This doesn’t mean your beautiful trees need to be come just another daily or weekly chore. You and your trees can stay safe with only a little extra attention. Twice a year, take a really good look at the trees near your home. Doing this at the start and end of hurricane season is a good time because you will look at them once with all their leaves on (June 1) and once with no leaves (November 1). Perhaps your semi-annu

al “inspection” could be the beginning of a special scrap book documenting how your family and your trees look over time!

When you look at each tree, look from the roots to the top. Does anything look different about it? Maybe some big fungi on/near the roots? A difference in the lev el of the ground on one side of the trunk? Are there new scars or splits on the trunk? Are the leaves a little different in col or or size? Maybe there are more of them or less of them? Mistletoe up in the crown? Dead limbs or twigs? You do not need to be a forester or an arborist to notice these kinds of differences. But you MAY need one to help you diagnose and treat the tree if you do see them. Many times, tree life can be extended through the application of mulch, aeration

of the root zone, the addition of nutrients, a change in the water regimen, or some judi cious pruning.

We all benefit from the trees around us. Besides pro viding us with oxygen and shade, they provide habitat for birds, insects, and ani mals; they protect our soil and waterways; they give our children places to play, and they increase our proper ty values. What’s not to love about a healthy tree? And that is why I have only one request: Check Your Trees, Please!

Trussville’s Tree Commis sion would like to thank Katie Wiswall for her support over the last two years in helping our city become part of The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program and for her contribution to this col umn.

Photo courtesy of Katie Wiswall

cus on building a new middle school that would house the seventh and eighth-graders.

Talton said it’s not just an SMS problem; it affects the entire community.

“All three schools have a great need with overcrowding and running out of space,” Talton said. “This year, for ex ample, the elementary school fifth graders ran out of class rooms. It was a decision to put them in portables or make room. At my school, in one of my buildings, we got rid of computer labs, moved people around, just reorganized that building and moved the fifth grade from the elementary school into my building, just to have a classroom for the students. The high school is already at capacity. They’re out of room.”

One example of how the schools have been affected with overcrowding is seen in the lunchroom. SMS shares a lunch room with SES.

“We have 1,500 students that come through a relative ly small lunchroom in a day; we start serving students at 10 o’clock in the morning, just so that we can finish serving a lit tle after 1 p.m.,” Talton said.

The seventh and eighth grade building was built in the 70s for a 2A size school, but the school has grown to 5A with around 200 students per grade level.

“This is not a wishlist item; this is not something that we think is just extra,” Burns said. “… We have kids coming to us every single day, and we want to make sure that we can provide what they need.”

Burns said if the tax doesn’t pass, then the schools may have to think about im plementing trailers as class rooms.

The Odenville community brought a petition for a reso lution asking for a 10-millage vote, which would go towards a new cafeteria for Odenville Intermediate School (OIS) and Odenville Middle School (OMS) to use.

“What our plan is, is to build a cafeteria and allow the intermediate school and the middle school to join that so that neither campus walks far,” Burns said. “Right now, they literally walk across the street twice to get to the caf eteria, and it’s probably 1,000 yards. They’re walking in any weather condition, and if we’re going to talk about safety, you’re putting the en tire school outside for a lunch period every single day.”

Margaret Elementary School (MES) feeds to both Odenville and Springville Schools and it is also over crowded. If the tax passes in Odenville, then MES will recieve a 25-classroom addi tion.

There are 137 publicly funded school systems in the state of Alabama, and Burns said that St. Clair Coun ty Schools is ranked 128 in funding for students.

Anytime you have a mill age or ad valorem, it has to go to things with a life of approx imately 30 years or longer.

Moody passed their ad valorem tax on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2022, and citizens are already seeing the bene fits of the vote taking shape in Moody. However, in Springville, the measure ulti mately failed by 40 votes due to those voting against it.

Burns said he hopes peo ple see what’s happening in Moody and want the same to happen in their community.

“Our goal is that people are going to see this hap pening, and say ‘Hey, guess what, these guys are going to do exactly what they said they were going to do. They’re go ing to be good stewards of our money, they’re going to make sure that they complete the process and then our students really are going to benefit from this,’” Burns said.

The tax vote falls on a Springville High School bas ketball game day, and Tal ton explained that if anyone comes to the game wearing an “I Voted” sticker, they can enter for free. Burns and Tal ton ask that everyone vote on Nov. 8.

2 ordinances regulating shortterm rentals in Irondale fail, will be reconsidered at next council meeting

By Crystal McGough Associate Editor

IRONDALE – Two ordi nances addressing short-term rental properties in the city of Irondale failed to pass the unanimous consent of the city council on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.

The ordinance originally listed under “New Business” aimed to prohibit any and all short-term rental properties (rental agreements with a lease less than 30 days) with in the city.

During the Council De liberation portion of the meeting, Councilor Aaron Sims said that he would like to present an alternative op tion.

“I would like to propose that we take our existing or dinance and create a ShortTerm Rental 2.0 ordinance and improve on what we have, verses outright banning them,” Sims said. “Listen ing to people the last sever al months – I think it’s been maybe six months since we passed the original ordinance, possibly give-or-take – a lot of the issues seem to be peo ple not abiding by the ordi nance; breaking the rules. So, I would like to make the con sequences of not abiding by the rules harsher. The people that have a permit and have been doing things the way they’re supposed to, I don’t think we should punish them. So, I propose that we increase the fee … make sure we en force the rules.”

Sims recommended “put ting teeth” in the existing or dinance by making the fines so steep that it would not be profitable for landlords to break the city’s policies. Ad

ditionally, if the landlords receive two complaints with in a six-month period, Sims recommended the city revoke their permit.

“If you just ban them, the people who are not abiding by the rules will continue to not abide by the rules,” he said. “I just don’t want to punish peo ple who have been abiding by the laws that we created.”

Councilor Cindy Cuel lar said that she has received numerous complaints from residents on the issue and feels that banning short-term rentals entirely is the correct solution.

“Our residents are fed up,” she said. “We’re not do ing away with rentals; we’re doing away with short-term rentals.”

Cuellar said that the pro posed ordinance would still allow for rental agreements with terms of 30 days or more.

Councilor Robert Box said while he agrees with Cuellar, he also liked some of Sim’s points.

“I just think these are problems waiting to happen,”

he said. “I hate to keep kick ing the can down the road … I will move with the body.”

During public comments, Lisa Cranford addressed the council concerning her own short-term rental property.

“I follow all the rules,” Cranford said. “I’ve nev er had any problems with anybody. … I’m a full-time schoolteacher and this is my retirement plan.”

A search for Irondale, Al abama, on Airbnb.com shows a result of over 1,000 listings. Cranford said that most of the guests who seek out shortterm rentals in the Irondale area are people looking for a place to stay one night, while on their way to another desti nation, and wanting an alter native option to staying in a hotel.

“We’re in this perfect location for traveling,” she said. “They are just traveling through … and they get to ex perience Irondale.”

Mia Jeffreys, another short-term rental landlord who has attended many coun cil meetings where this topic has been discussed, also reit

erated to the council her feel ings on the potential ban.

“I just want to say thank you, Aaron (Sims), for your comments,” she said. “These are my property rights; these are everyone’s property rights. I’m here to warn you that these laws are in viola tion of well-recognized prop erty rights. Ordinances regu lating short-term rentals are unconstitutional.”

Two other citizens spoke in favor of banning shortterm rentals, one saying that 200 Irondale residents had signed a petition, and another saying that her property has taken gunfire as a result of a neighbor’s short-term rental.

When it came time to vote, Sims offered his updated ver sion of the original ordinance as Ordinance 2022-25. When Sims made a motion to sus pend all rules that would prevent the consideration of the ordinance, Cuellar, Box and Council President David Spivey voted “no.”

After some deliberation, Cuellar offered Ordinance 2022-26, which would pro hibit all short-term rentals, allowing only rental agree ments with a 30-day mini mum lease. When Cuellar made a motion to suspend all rules that would prevent con sideration of this ordinance, she, Box and Spivey voted “yes,” while Sims voted “no.”

With both ordinances fail ing to pass unanimous con sent, they will be considered first readings and brought back up for consideration at the next meeting.

The next meeting of the Irondale City Council will be Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, be ginning at 6 p.m., at Irondale City Hall.

Left to Right: Irondale Councilors Aaron Sims, Robert Box and Cindy Cuellar (Photo by Crystal McGough)

Trussville Social presents The Guest List

From The Tribune staff reports

TRUSSVILLE — Truss ville Social will be presenting their first ever fine dining ex perience, The Guest List, on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. for the first 60 people, and tickets are going fast.

This fine dining experi ence will be $225 per per son and includes some of the greatest wines from all over the world by Dave Phinney paired with unique courses from Executive Chef Way man Clayton.

“Dave Phinney Wines is doing a big release on his sto ry and his wine. So somebody on behalf of Dave Phinney Wines will be there explain ing the whole process,” own er Jeremy Reeves said. “It’ll be kind of an educational thing, but a fun storytelling thing about his wines.”

“Join Trussville Social for an exclusive immersive din ing experience that will tan talize all your senses, invigo rate your emotions, and take you on an unforgettable jour ney,” Trussville Social Stated. “Complete with six courses,

as well as wine pairings, we promise you won’t leave hun gry or disappointed.”

“It’s more of a very high-

end white tablecloth type ex perience,” Reeves said.

Reeves explained that the event will be more of an in timate, smaller group setting and will also have live music.

“Find out why this is go ing to be the hottest new din ing experience in Trussville,” Trussville Social stated on Facebook. “Only happening once a month with a limited amount of tickets sold, so get yours while you can.”

For your chance to partic ipate in The Guest List, visit https://theguestlist.rsvpify. com for tickets.

“We have been doing this event for a few years now, and each year we are so excited to see it grow,” Fitness Instruc tor Courtney Moore stated.

This year they will be rais ing funds for the Sisters Net work Inc. Organization.

Sisters Network® Inc. is committed to increasing local and national attention to the devastating impact that breast cancer has in the African American community.

“We will have an optional 30 min workout, giveaways, vendors, raffles, a food truck, live DJ, face painting and crafts for kids, and more…all to raise money for this great cause,” Moore stated.

The event will be held in the gym at the Center Point Community Center (533 Sun hill Rd NW, Center Point, AL 35215) on Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is a $10 entry fee. All proceeds will go to support the Sisters Network, Inc. Or ganization.

ferson County announced on Sept. 23, 2022, that 142 indi vidual Merit System employ ees have successfully com pleted certificate programs. Among the certificate recipi ents are Chief Tim Shotts and Lt. Matthew Panepento of the Trussville Fire Department (TPD), and Chief Eric Rush and Constance Watkins of the Trussville Police Department (TPD).

Seventy-eight employ ees completed the Leading People Certificate, 76 com pleted the Leading Processes Certificate, 56 completed the Professional Development Certificate, 10 completed

the Civil Servant Leadership Certificate, and six complet ed the On-Deck Leadership Certificate, for a total of 226 certificates among 142 indi vidual employees.

The recipients were rec ognized at a celebration on Friday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m., at the Historic Boutwell Audi torium. The keynote speaker was Concetta Lewis, Vice President of Talent Develop ment for Daxko.

Training and developing the Merit System employees is a key driver for the Person nel Board of Jefferson Coun ty.

“These programs are great tools that enable our supervi sors and future supervisors from across the Merit System to enhance their leadership and computer skills” said Jeff Crenshaw, Interim Director of the Personnel Board of Jefferson County. “We are very proud of the time and effort that this class has ap plied towards their goals, and we are hopeful that their accomplishments will have a positive effect on their juris dictions.”

The Leading People Cer tificate program is designed

for current and aspiring su pervisors to develop the necessary skills to lead the people on their team. This program covers topics such as communication skills, the art of delegation, and conflict resolution, and it is essential for those who have the de sire to move from manager to leader.

The Managing Processes Certificate program focuses on the crucial decisions that a manager must make to en sure work is accomplished. Sessions cover topics such as strategic planning, critical thinking, and project man agement. After completing this program, attendees will have learned the skills need ed to be a strategic leader in local government.

The Professional Devel opment Certificate program focuses on helping employ ees be the best possible em ployee they can be. Sessions cover topics such as per sonal branding, networking, professionalism, and public speaking. Employees suc cessfully completing this pro gram will have a solid foun dation to build upon as they continue their career path in

local government.

The Civil Servant Lead ership Certificate program lasts 16 weeks and consists of classroom-based learning, e-learning, assigned readings, group discussions, a service project, and a final presenta tion. It allows participants to understand and apply their prior learnings, while also discovering how the concept of servant leadership can help them achieve success in local government.

The On-Deck Leader ship Certificate program is a unique, intensive, and highly interactive experience that serves as a catalyst for newly promoted leaders. This ses sion engages newly promoted leaders through experiential activities, leaderships con cepts and exercises, group problem-solving tasks, vid eos, and lectures. This group received plenty of hands-on practice applying essential leadership concepts to cur rent organizational/personal leadership challenges.

For more information about these programs or the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, visit www.pbjcal. org.

courtesy of Courtney Moore)

Trussville Social (Photo courtesy of Trussville Social)

its annual Beauty for Ashes Recovery Conference at the Trussville Civic Center.

The goal of the confer ence, held in September for Recovery Month, was to rec ognize the successes of indi viduals in long-term recovery, empower & motivate attend ees to become advocates of recovery and provide com munity resources for those struggling with an addiction and related stressors.

Individuals from all walks of life, including recovery, homelessness, drug court, treatment programs, and ser vice providers, heard stories of resiliency, recovery, and reintegration.

“This was a hugely suc cessful event,” said Dr. Jean McCrady, volunteer coach from the Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship.

Martina Dailey, Founder of New Awakening Recov ery Services, expressed her appreciation to volunteers, sponsors, New Awakening team members, speakers, or ganizations, and attendees who made this conference a success.

“I am thankful for so many supporters in Birming ham and Trussville for their

help with this community event,” Dailey said. “We also have our eyes on the in creased Fentanyl overdose rates and how it is wreaking havoc in the community. We are making sure our program ming is tailored to meet the needs of community mem bers who need educational material and other recovery support services. New Awak ening has collaborated with multiple community organi zations to provide individuals with resources needed to help improve their quality of life. We want people to know that resources are available.”

New Awakening Recov ery Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to provide educa tion, guidance, and support services to recovering women in a healthy, sober living envi ronment and to offer commu nity referral services to any individual seeking help with a substance use disorder. The organization’s long-term goal is to have a residential facili ty for women in recovery as they transition to self-sustain ing, independent living.

New Awakening asks if you know anyone who is currently struggling with an addiction or related stressors, call them at New Awakening at (205) 977-0267.

agreement for the purchase of property located at 1080 Grants Mill Road for the con struction of a new location for the Irondale Public Library, for the price of $1,000,000.

“I would like to speak to at least three things concerning this purchase,” Stewart said. “Number one: people want to know why we are paying a million dollars. The reason that we are paying a million dollars is because we had an evaluation that was done by a reputable real estate company to determine a fair value of what the property would cost. The property would list at $1.3 (million) if it was being sold, but wholesale, the highend was somewhere between $950,000 to a million dollars. So, I wanted to say that first to let people know that we didn’t just pull ‘a million dol lars’ out of a hat. It has noth ing to do with what somebody paid for something five years ago, because we’re dealing with today-dollars, and we’ve also had a professional to be able to do that evaluation, to be able to give us that num ber.

“The second thing is, I’ve heard there is a lake –that is to capture runoff wa ter – everything was thrown

Sing-a-Thon

years, and he promised to sing any song for a donation. The Sing-A-Thon will be broadcast live on Facebook, and Langford asked if anyone had any song requests to post them to his Facebook page or in person at Trussville Social.

Langford said that he had been involved with the Down Syndrome community even before his son, Zac, was born with Down Syndrome.

Langford explained the first year he created the SingA-Thon, he raised $800, and

into there, and you won’t be able to build on it. But all of these people that are speak ing to that, I don’t believe any of them have PE behind their name, which means that they are (not) a professional engineer that can make that determination. We also had what is called an environ mental study and a Phase 1 study that was done, again, by a reputable engineering company – although it was done in 2017 – to tell us ex actly what the soil looks like. We’re also doing this due dil igence period that we have because this is not where the city is automatically going to purchase this property. We have a due diligence period

of 60 days, and at least 90 days to close. So, we will do our due diligence by having another Phase 1, and we’ll also have another environ mental study done to deter mine the condition of the soil and what we can and what we can’t do with the piece of property.

The third thing has been ‘why don’t we just allow (the library) to stay where it is?’ Well, if you know where the library currently resides, you don’t really have a lot of space for parking if you are getting ready to develop an other building. And if we de cided to go up a floor, you’d still have to tear it down, but you’re limited in the amount

When the power goes out, you don’t have to! Natural Gas

of space that you have for parking.”

The next meeting of the Irondale City Council will be Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, be ginning at 6 p.m., at Irondale City Hall.

every year since then, the Sing-A-Thon continues to grow. Last year the event raised over $2,000, and this year Langford plans to raise even more.

This event helps families in the community come to gether, raise awareness for Down Syndrome, and let those who have Down Syn drome know they are not alone. Langford said that he believes that people with Down Syndrome are a bless ing from God, and if this Sing-A-Thon can raise mon ey for Down Syndrome Ala bama, he has done his job.

(From left to right) Samantha Houston, Martina Dailey, Dr. Jean McCrady, Stephanie Richardson, and Janet Gibson. (Photo courtesy of Martina Dailey)

Irondale Mayor James D. Stewart and City Attorney (Photo by Crystal McGough)

Mayor Stewart honored Irondale Fire Department and Building Inspection employees with a proclamation. L to R: Fire Chief J. L. McDaniel, Kenton Kennedy (Building Inspector), Greg Cochran (Building Superintendent), Kelly Womack (Permitting Clerk), Mayor James D. Stewart, Assistant Fire Chief Brad Doss, Lt. David Brasher and Lt. Charles Holliday (Photo by Crystal McGough)

Rob Langford singing at the 7th Annual Sing-A-Thon. (Photo by Hannah Curran)

Pinson

on Thursday, Oct. 6,

The council passed a mo

to approve a budget for the city’s annual Veteran’s Day Luncheon, which will be an in-person, sit down event at the Rock School Complex on Nov. 11, 2022. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m., and each veteran who registers is invited to bring one guest.

“We’ve talked about having some entertainment there,” Mayor Joe Cochran said. “Also we talked about having a gift like we normally do. This is a plus-one situation: the veteran plus one. It can be a friend, it can be a spouse, it can be anybody you want it to be. But you would call City Hall to get your name on the

list for reservations. Addition ally, if you have someone who is homebound and can’t make it, you can make that reserva tion and we will make a to-go plate and bring it out to your car. Just let us know that when you call. Again, that’s a plusone situation, as well.”

While the council did not confirm an exact amount for the budget, it does include approximately $1,500 for the gifts, as well as the funds needed to have Olive Garden cater the food.

Cochran suggested local artist and Blues Queen of the South DieDra Huff for enter tainment, but Councilor John Churchwell said that he had already received some spe cific requests from veterans planning to attend.

“I’ve already had two or three people that plan to come

that requested that we get back the group that … we’ve had for five years in a row,” Churchwell said. “I don’t re member their name.”

City Clerk Marie Turn er said that she believes the group was called Three on a String.

The council then discussed the upcoming Christmas pa rade, which will take place on Dec. 1, 2022, with a theme of “Ugly Christmas Sweater.”

Applications for participa tion in the parade are expect ed to be available on the city’s website, www.thecityofpin son.com, by Tuesday, Oct. 11.

The next Pinson City Council meeting has been moved from Thursday, Oct. 20, to Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. The council will meet at City Hall at 6:15 p.m. for a pre-council work session, followed by a 7 p.m. council meeting.

is purchasing the seal for the city, reimbursing the city for $1,200. The city is paying an extra $100 fee for shipping and handling.

The council also approved a motion to authorize Mayor Bradley and City Attorney Michael Brymer to apply for an Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improve ment Program (ATRIP) grant to help fund the construction of turn lanes on Highway 11, turning onto Argo-Margaret Road.

remains a problem,” King said. “I put out four bins: there’s one at White Oak Re alty, Argo Hardware, Hilltop and Buckeye’s. So far, we’ve not gotten anything.”

King said the food bank has plenty of meat and even an overload of bakery items, which are donated from local grocery stores. Canned goods, however, are in short supply.

“One of the things I want to stress is we have several clients in Springville – it’s not all just Argo – and a couple in Odenville,” she said. “Matter of fact, we have one family of nine.”

Creekview HOA director Terry Daniels was present to make the request, saying that holes have formed on the roads that have caused damaged to residents’ cars.

Mayor Joe Lee said that the HOA will need to put in a for mal request, which will be fol lowed by a resolution to accept the streets at another meeting. A report on the road estimated the costs to be shared by the city at 25%.

The cost will be $72,693. The HOA will pay 75% or roughly $54,000.

The council heard month ly reports from departments, including the police and fire, with Captain Reece Smith re porting 1,521 calls, 46 arrests, 62 warning citations, 128 traf fic citations, 82 reports, 95 misdemeanors, 35 felonies and police vehicles drove 15,227 miles. Vehicle expenses were $4,461.70.

Fire Chief Larry Horton reported 175 responses, three fires (two vehicles, one woods, grass or rubbish), 97 emergen

cy medical calls, nine vehicle wrecks, 15 public services, 34 lift assists, 17 false alarms, mutual aid given twice and re ceived twice, and the average dispatch to enroute time was one minute, 41 seconds and dispatch to arrival was six min utes and 43 seconds.

There were 25 annual in spections, two re-inspections and one pump inspection.

In other business the council:

• Approved Smith’s request to pay AXON for body cameras for $15,411.54, Approved Smith’s request to purchase Cross Match computer software for $429.33,

• Approved Smith’s request to repair the windshield

molding on car #345 for $476.73,

• Approved Smith’s request approval to purchase Duty Ammo $790,

• Approved Smith’s request to advertise a full-time SRO officer to be paid through the Shelby County Board of Education, Approved Smith’s request to hire a non-certified po lice officer, with the cost of police academy training for $3,500,

• Approved a request from Library Director Sara Rob erts to renew the database Fold3 Library Edition for October 2022 through Sep tember 2023 for $1,186.46.,

• Approved a request from Public Works Director

The

Steve Mitchell to purchase two front tractor tires for $988.24, Approved Mitchell’s re quest to purchase one truckload of cold mix about 30 ton for $2,820,

• Approved Horton’s request to purchase a hydraulic hose for the Hurst rescue tool for $750, Approved Lee’s Request to purchase new tires for the mayor’s vehicle for $1,160,

• Approved Councilman Lynn Taylor’s request to update the city pay scale to add a fire department lieu tenant scale and update the starting pay for a fire cap tain, and Donated $14,500 from the American Rescue Plan Act fund to Moody Elemen tary School to be used for cleaning and sanitizing, as well as painting four entry/ stairways.

Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at Moody City Hall on 670 Park Ave. Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@gmail. com.

“We’re going to have to be able to do some matching money to be able to get that grant,” Bradley said.

During a pre-council work session, Brymer said that these types of grants are normally 80/20, with the city funding approximately 20% of the total cost of the proj ect.

Bradley said that the city will be applying for the maximum amount available through the grant program, which is $2 million. This does not guarantee that the city will be approved for the full amount, however. The dead line for the city to apply for the grant is Nov. 18.

Beth King, with the Argo Food Bank, gave the council an update and asked for as sistance getting word out to the surrounding communities that the food bank is in need of canned goods.

“Last council meeting, I told you we were in dire need of canned goods, and that still

City Attorney Michael Brymer said that Massey, Stotser & Nichols, PC, is also doing a drive to collect canned goods for the Argo Food Bank.

Michelle Coalson gave the city an update on Christmas for Kids 2022, a local pro gram to collect and distribute Christmas gifts for underpriv ileged children in the Argo community.

Donation boxes are set up at several local business es such as Buckeye Grocery, Dollar General and Argo Hardware. Applications are being accepted at Argo City Hall now through Dec. 9, and applicants must live in the city of Argo. Participation in this program is limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis, Coalson said.

For more information on how to apply, contact Mi chelle Coalson at (205) 3377708, or Argo City Hall at (205) 352-2120.

Image courtesy of the City of Pinson Alabama Facebook page

City of Argo Seal (Image credit: Argo Councilor Ann Brown)

Photo credit: Nathan Prewett

Phil Williams: Saint Maurice proved ‘doin’ right ain’t hard’

By Phil Willaims, 1819 News Commentary

In a shadowbox on the shelf at my office is a large bronze medallion hanging from a ribbon approximately 1 ½ inches wide. The ribbon has two sky-blue bands and one yellow. The medallion itself is about two inches in diameter and hangs from a clasp on the ribbon in the shape of an eagle with the word “Legionnaire” imprinted on it. The medallion has a wreath around its bor ders and is emblazoned with the cast image of a Roman soldier extending his hand down to help a fallen com rade. Aside from the imagery, the medallion also reads, “The Order of Saint Maurice” and “The National Infantry Asso ciation.”

The Order of Saint Mau rice medallion is an award given to honor those who are inducted into the Order for their roles contributing to or serving in the U.S. Army In fantry.

It becomes even more special with some research designed to better understand why the Infantry Association chose to call their special or der the Order of Saint Mau rice. What I found is an epic tale of heroism about which movies should be made.

The story of the real Mau rice is also a testimony to the kind of attitude that we need more of during this time of heightened assault on conser vative values. An attitude that says, “Not on my watch,” cou pled with the kind of leader ship that men and women look

to that is so significant they are willing to place themselves at risk for the greater good. The story of Saint Maurice is re ally a story of men who were willing to look evil in the eye and calmly take the position that “doin’ right ain’t hard,” even when it means that ulti mate sacrifice.

What we know today of Maurice may be part fact and part fiction. But it is nonethe less documented, and he is still revered in some parts of the world. Maurice was from the ancient city of Thebes in Egypt. Thebes was the cap ital of the region at that time during the period in which the Roman Empire had conquered Egypt.

Maurice’s image is depict ed in multiple ancient paint ings and frescos as a black man in full armor. As was the custom of the time, Rome ex panded its military to include residents of conquered lands and Maurice became a soldier of the Roman Army. He rose through the ranks and eventu ally became the commander of the Theban Legion with ap proximately 5,000 men under his command.

Maurice was also an ac knowledged Christian at a time when Christianity was considered suspect and a threat to the Roman Empire. Never theless, Maurice commanded his legion, which is believed to also have been comprised entirely of Christians.

In the first quarter of the 3rd century AD, the Theban Legion under Maurice’s com mand was dispatched to what is now the Swiss Alps to quell

a rebellion. Before going into battle, they were ordered to make sacrifices to Rome’s pa gan gods. Maurice is said to have reaffirmed his loyalty to Rome but refused to take part in the pagan rituals. Legend says that he was then ordered to take his legion into the field and to kill and harass local Christians for no other reason than the fact that the Roman Emperor Maximian wanted them to be persecuted.

History says that Maurice told his superiors that while he was militarily loyal to Rome, his service to God super seded all else and he and his men saw wanton slaughter as something that was unaccept able. Maurice then ordered his men to withdraw from the field.

Under Maurice’s lead ership, the Theban Legion refused to compromise their own faith by worshipping pa gan idols and further refused to abandon their deep princi ples to destroy Christian vil lages.

Emperor Maximian is said to have been outraged and or dered that every tenth man be executed, a punishment called “decimation.” But it didn’t work. The Emperor then or dered a second decimation. It still did not work. So legend says that in and around the small village of what is now known as St. Moritz (or “Mau rice”) Switzerland, the entire Theban Legion was martyred.

The earliest documents re lating the events date to 453 AD, and Maurice was even tually canonized as a Saint of the Catholic Church. Over

time, more than 650 religious foundations and orders have been dedicated to his honor. The sword and spurs of Saint Maurice were a key part of the royal regalia used to coronate Austro-Hungarian emperors all the way up to 1916. It is said that his remains and those of several of his men are now entombed at Magdeburg Ca thedral in Germany.

But Maurice’s story, while epic in its good-versus-evil narrative, is really about so much more. Despite the rever ence for who he was and what he did, the real story of Saint Maurice is the backstory. The fact that a man who his own Commanders probably viewed as the least among them was a leader of such determination and faith that he was willing to look his leadership in the eye and let them know that wrong is still wrong and he would take no part in it.

But even more than that, he was a leader who inspired his own men so intensely that they were willing to sacrifice

their own well-being to fol low his example. We don’t have any stories of defectors from within the ranks of the Theban Legion. Perhaps there were some who caved, but we don’t know of them. Truth be told, cowards don’t become Saints, and so history records the great and principled stand of the Theban Legion and the leadership of Saint Maurice.

I’m watching world events right now and believing that there are Maurice-types among us even now. There has to be. Because if there are not, then we are in a world of hurt. As many conservatives watch with great concern, I hold out hope that within the ranks of an overly politicized FBI, a double-standard-promoting DOJ, a negligent DHS, an em boldened IRS, and the strange party-line water-toters in the Pentagon, there have to be men and women who are will ing to look their leadership in the eye and say, “That is not my mission and that is a viola tion of my conscience.”

I once heard a major tell a very subordinate captain that he needed to get his head on straight and remember that an otherwise lawful order did not have to be heeded if in fact it was illegal, immoral or uneth ical, but that being unpopular was not one of the criteria. He was right. But too many sheep in high places these days refuse to question leader ship that tells them to act in a manner that flies in the face of their charter. You may not like the orders you are given, they may be unpopular, and yet necessary. But the orders that require an individual to vio late their mission to provide for the common defense, pro mote the general welfare, and ensure domestic tranquility by voiding the actual liberties of those they are sworn to defend must be balanced against that standard of “illegal, immoral and unethical.”

We need more folks right now to heed the example of Saint Maurice, Commander of the Theban Legion. Doing the right thing for him and his men came at a great cost, to be sure. But doin’ right ain’t hard when you are a principled individu al. History does not canonize sheep who go along to get along. Cowards do not become Saints. Doin’ right ain’t hard.

To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engage ment, go to www.rightsid eradio.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the poli cy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Com mentary@1819News.com.

an opinion column.

By Paul DeMarco

This country is still grieving for the victims and the families from the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, earlier this year.

While the investigation to uncover all of the facts sur rounding the circumstance are still ongoing, there have been other safety concerns to students around the Nation.

Right here in Alabama, there have been threats to stu dents in, Alabama that have raised the concern of parents. Across our state, local community leaders and law enforcement are working to

Paul DeMarco

introduce and enforce pol icies to protect their school facilities.

One helpful step Alabama lawmakers can make when they return to session in 2023 is to pass legislation that would allow communities to increase the pay for school resource officers.

There is a current restric tion on pay for some officers

who may work on a part-time basis or who are retired from their local law enforcement agencies.

The current environment has made it harder to recruit law enforcement officers to serve our communities. Thus, additional incentives to sup port and add school resource officers are needed in our state.

This legislation should be a priority for state repre sentatives and senators to do their part to ensure Alabama School Systems remain safe for our students.

Paul DeMarco is a for mer member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter @ Paul_DeMarco.

Phil Williams is Policy Director for the Alabama Policy Institute.

L ifesty L e

Life As A Hobby: Sports Superstitions –What’s Yours?

By Joe Hobby

Uh oh. Only five minutes before kickoff and I’ve got things to do. Quickly, I round up both my dogs and pet them seven times each – the last stroke from the tip of their nose to the end of their tail. Then I run to my drawer and put on my Alabama T-shirt that came from the holy city of Jerusalem. Now, and only now, can I sit down in my spe cial chair and watch the game knowing I have done all I can do to help my team. I suppose some people would call me su perstitious, but I prefer to say I’m making sure all of my pre game rituals are completed.

Who am I kidding? It is su perstition. And it’s something that’s interwoven into the fab ric of every sport we watch, especially college football.

For me, it began when I was in college. I went to my first bowl game when I was a soph omore, and believe me, it was a big one. The 1973 Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Notre Dame was going to decide the national championship. My fra ternity brothers and I were in the stands where the beer was flow ing freely – it was New Orleans, for goodness’ sake. One of my brothers, Hank, was imbibing from the opening kickoff. Soon, he realized that every time he went to the bathroom, Alabama did something good.

Near the game’s end, Bama was trailing by a point when a perfect punt pinned the Irish down on their one-yard line. If we could hold them, we would get the ball back with plenty

of time to kick a game-win ning field goal. It finally came down to one play – third and 10. Hank’s bladder was exploding, but he chose to stay in his seat –and watched in horror as Notre Dame completed a long pass for a first down, ran out the clock, and won the championship.

To this day, Hank believes that if he had only gone to pee, Alabama would’ve won the game. I wholeheartedly agree. What other logical explanation is there?

By the way, I am not alone. Recent research found that 2/3 of sports fans are superstitious when it comes to game day.

Apparently people aren’t taking any chances when it comes to helping their team.

Fifty percent of the fans sur veyed say they wear a specific shirt or jersey during the game, and 44% don’t wash it until the season is over. So that means when the last game of the sea son is being played, 44% of fans are probably watching it alone.

There’s more: 43% sit during the same spot every game, and a whopping 62% have blamed themselves for their team’s loss because they weren’t wearing the right shirt or sitting in the right place.

There was no survey done about going to pee, but I per sonally know that one is true.

On this particular Saturday, Alabama was playing Texas and all my good luck charms in the world weren’t helping. They looked terrible on both sides of the ball. It was one of their worst performances in years. As they fell further be

hind, my anger grew. In fact, at the end of the third quarter, I took off my Alabama T-shirt, then grabbed two leashes, and decided to take my dogs for a walk. There was no reason to torture myself by watching the rest of this garbage.

I timed the walk perfect ly, stepping back in the house minutes after the game ended. That’s when I heard the TV announcers talking about Ala bama’s incredible 4th quarter comeback that resulted in a one-point win. What? I stood there in stunned disbelief –and then I saw it. Before I walked out the door with my dogs, I had thrown my special Alabama T-shirt on the floor right in front of the television. It must’ve been close enough to the TV to work its magic without me. So, to all the Ala bama fans reading this article, you’re welcome.

When I went to church the next day, one of my friends walked up to me and said so berly, “I almost screwed up yesterday. I forgot to wear my lucky red shirt. Thank heavens I put it on at the start of the 4th quarter.”

I nodded, but deep inside, I thought, “That’s ridiculous. Everybody knows it was my Alabama T-shirt.”

What superstitions do you have about your team?

Joe Hobby is a stand-up comedian, an author, and a blogger. Visit https://mylifea sahobby.blogspot.com/?m=1. for more.

Also, follow him on Face book at: Joe Hobby Comedi an-Writer.

Savvy Senior: Auto aids that make driving easier and safer

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Do you know of any car gad gets that can help older driv ers? I drive a 12-year-old car and have arthritis in my neck, back and knees which limits my mobility making it more difficult to get in and out of the car and look over my shoulder to backup.

Almost 80

Dear Almost,

To help keep older drivers safe and extend their driving years, there are a number of inexpensive products you can purchase that can easily be added to your vehicle to help with many different needs. Here are some popular auto aids to consider.

Entry and Exit Aids

For mobility challenged seniors who have a difficult time entering and exiting a vehicle – especially cars that are low to the ground or high vehicles such as SUV’s or pickup truck’s – there are a variety of support handles and special seat cushions that can help.

Some examples include the Stander (stander.com) “HandyBar” ($40), which is a portable support grab bar that inserts into the U-shaped striker plate on the door frame, and the “CarCaddie” ($20), a nylon support handle that buckles around the top of the door window frame. Stander also has an “Auto Swivel Seat Cushion” ($40), that rotates 360 degrees to help drivers and passengers pivot their body into and out of their vehicle.

Rear Vision Improve ments

To help those with neck and back range of motion problems, which makes look ing over the shoulder to backup or merge into traffic diffi cult, there are special mirrors you can add as well as backup cameras.

To widen rear visibility and eliminate blind spots, Verivue Mirrors (verivuemir

rors.com) offers the popular “Universal 12-Inch Panoram ic Rearview Mirror” ($13) that clips on to existing rear view mirrors, along with a va riety of “Blind Spot Mirrors” ($5 for two), which are small convex mirrors that stick to the corner of the sideview mirrors.

Another helpful device is the “Auto-vox CS-2 Wireless Backup Camera Kit” ($120, www.auto-vox.com). This comes with a night vision camera that attaches to the rear license plate, and a small monitor that mounts to the dash or windshield. When the vehicle is in reverse, it sends live images wirelessly to the monitor so you can see what’s behind you.

Seat Belt Extenders

For plus-sized people or those with mobility problems, there are seat belt extension products that can make buck ling up a little easier. For example, Seat Belt Extender Pros (seatbeltextenderpros. com) offers vehicle-specific “Seat Belt Extenders” ($13 to $26) that fit into the seat belt buckle receiver to add a few inches of length, making them easier to fasten. They also sell a “Seat Belt Grab ber Handle” ($8), which is a rubber extension handle that attaches to the seat belt strap to make it easier to reach.

Gripping Devices

If you have hand arthri tis that makes gripping diffi cult or painful, consider the “SEG Direct Steering Wheel

Cover” ($17) that fits over the steering wheel to make it larger, softer and easier to grip. And for help twist ing open tight gas caps, the “Gas Cap & Oil Cap Open er by Gascapoff” ($17) is a long-handled tool that works like a wrench to loosen and tighten gas caps.

Many of these products can be found in your local auto supply stores or online at the manufacturer’s website or at Amazon.com. Just type the product name in the search bar to find them.

Professional Help

If you need more assis tance, consider contacting a driver rehabilitation specialist who are trained to evaluate elderly drivers and provide safety and driving equipment suggestions.

In addition to the types of aids mentioned in this col umn, there’s also a range of adaptive driving equipment that can be professionally installed on a vehicle – like swing-out swivel seats, ped al extenders, hand controls and more – to help people with various disabilities. To locate a driver rehabilitation specialist in your area, visit ADED.net or MyAOTA.aota. org/driver_search.

Send your senior ques tions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contrib utor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Se nior” book.

c a L enda R

Storytime for Growin’ Beans with Ms. Allison: Sheep October 14 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am Free

Ferus Presents: Lyn Avenue

October 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

istration ends on Monday, August 22nd and the race price will increase to $30, so go ahead and REGISTER before that date to get your early bird discount! YOU MAY REGISTER THROUGH THE LIBRARY’S WEBSITE AT WWW.TRUSSVILLELI

BRARY.COM

Venue

(All ages)

Join us for Storytime for Growin’ Beans with Ms. Al lison on Friday, October 14th at 10 AM. Our theme is sheep! We’ll read books, have fun, do a craft, & have a snack.

Storytime is designed for pre-K children, but all ages are welcome.

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Anime & Unwind October 14 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Free

Born and raised in Savan nah, GA, Lyn Avenue is a Country/Americana act bringing you catchy, com pelling stories with genu ine southern charm. Com prised of husband and wife duo, CC Witt and Patrick Ellington, their writing style is rooted in sharp lyricism and memorable melodies, organically blending ele ments of Americana, Folk and Classic Country. Driven by rich vocals, electrifying leads, and boot stomping rhythms, there is always a story to be told with Lyn Ave nue and you can guarantee that you’ll be wanting to sing along.

Listen here: https://www. lynavenue.com/home

Venue

Trussville Entertainment Dis trict

BOOKIN’ IT 5K RUN/WALK

October 15 @ 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Trussville Public Library

Animal Tales: Creepy Critters

October 15 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Free

Finally… an anime event for adults! Come to the library for Anime & Unwind on Fri day, October 14th at 6 PM.

Enjoy Asian snacks & hang out with fellow anime enthu siasts.

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The Friends of the Truss ville Library and the Truss ville Public Library are very pleased to announce our first annual BOOKIN’ IT 5K Race/ Walk coming up this Fall on Saturday, October 15th at 8AM! The race will start and end at the Trussville Pub lic Library and all proceeds from the race will benefit the Friends of the Trussville Library! EARLY BIRD reg

(All ages)

Animal Tales presents Creepy Critters on Saturday, October 15th at 2 PM!

Creepy Critters focuses on those less cuddly and icky creatures whose importance is often taken for granted. This program features arach nids, insects, and snakes to illustrate that such unde sirable critters serve an ex tremely important purpose to the environment.

Venue

Pinson Public Library (RSMC)

Introduction to Genealogy

October 17 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Free

(Adults)

Birmingham Public Library’s Southern History Depart ment presents an Introduc tion to Genealogy at Pinson Public Library on Monday, October 17th at 4 PM.

Want to learn how to do ge nealogical research? Come to this introductory class that

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Call (205) 533-8664

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will help get you started on your genealogical journey. The staff in the Southern History Department covers such topics as vital records, courthouse and church re cords, and the Federal Cen sus.

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Haunted BOOkfair!

October 19 @ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

(All ages)

Welcome to our Haunted BOOkfair on Wednesday, October 19th from 9 AM to 6 PM & Thursday, October 20th from 9 AM to 7 PM!

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- Made in the USA. Call for free consultation: 844-8099165. Ask about our specials!

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USED books & media as well as new toys, trinkets, candy, posters, & more! All sales will benefit programming at the library.

Anyone wearing a fun cos tume will receive a bonus/ discount!

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o bitua R y

Larry David Daugherty

july 25, 1949 ~ september 27, 2022 (age 73)

Larry David Daugherty (73), public servant to the United States of America and the City of Birmingham, went home to be with his Heavenly Father on September 27, 2022, at Birmingham VA Medical Center. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Rich ard Houston Daugherty and Mary Frances Hurst; and brother, Roy Daugherty.

He is survived by his wife of 30+ years, Marsha Whalen Daugh erty, daughter Heather Morris, grandsons Devin Brock and Jesse Logan Marcrum, brother Gary Daugherty (Becky), nieces Brandy (Jason) Mandeville, Kim (Jeff) Brantley, and four great nieces. He leaves behind his sweet four-legged baby girl, Bella Marie Diva Dog Daugherty- as he lovingly called her at times.

Larry spent his early adult life on a cruise ship with some of his buddies paid for by the US Navy. Larry retired as a Lieutenant from the Birmingham Police Department dedicating and risking his life for “The Magic City” as a detective, polygraph examiner and other positions.

Despite his tenure of 30+ years of public service with the Birmingham Police Department, he was deter mined to sacrifice and commit more of his life as an Investigator within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Family was a priority to Larry. He enjoyed being with his grandsons and watching them grow up to be young men. He also enjoyed meeting up with his friends for a bite to eat. One of his favorite places was the beach.

Larry never met a stranger. He was a kind and generous person, always willing to help others. He loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As a testimony to his love of his Lord and his wife, they spent quality time together reading the bible in its entirety on several occasions.

A memorial service will be held at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home in Trussville, Alabama. A private family visitation will be held and followed by a graveside service starting at 2:00 P.M. on October 1, 2022. Pastor Anthony Bellew from The Healing Place will be officiating.

Euel Calvin Stephenson

january 26, 1924 ~ october 2, 2022 (age 98)

Euel Calvin Stephenson, age 98, of Birmingham, AL passed away on October 2, 2022 in his home surrounded by his loving family. Euel was a native of Blount Co, AL and a graduate of Cleveland High School. He was also a graduate of Howard College now known as Samford University.He was a Veteran of the United States Army serving in World War II.

He was commissioned 2nd Lt Infantry by President Truman and served active Reserved for ten years. Due to civilian occupational changes to Medical Service Corp, he served as Det Commander of the 360th General Hospital where he resigned as Captain. He was a member of Huffman Baptist Church.

Euel was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and four sisters; one granddaughter, Michelle Roye, and a great grandson, William Stephenson Olive. He is survived by his loving wife of 75 years, Clara Maxine Thomp son Stephenson; three daughters, Janice (Mike) Robinson, Lynn (Bobby) Olive and Barbara (Ronnie) Roye; grandchildren, Lisa (Mark) Cantavespre, Lori (Butch) Cole, Sabrina (Scott) Johnson, Ron Roye, Robby (Teresa) Olive, Ryan Olive; eleven great grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.

A funeral service for Euel will be on Thursday, October 6th at 2:00 p.m. at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Trussville, AL with a visitation for friends and family starting at 1:00 p.m. In honor Euel’s giving spirit in lieu of flowers please send donations to a charity of your choice in Euel’s honor.

Pallbearers will be Ron Roye, Robby Olive, Ryan Olive, Jake Cantavespre, Mark Cantavespre, Butch Cole, Trip Cole, Drew Johnson, and Scott Johnson; honorary pallbearer, Byron Corina.

Linda Payton Gamble

april 8, 1949 ~ september 29, 2022 (age 73)

Linda Faye Payton Gamble age 73 of Irondale passed away the morning of Thursday, September 29th, 2022.

She was surrounded and supported by her loving family during the last days of her life.

She was born on April 8th, 1949 in Birmingham, Alabama to the late James William & Irene Seales Payton.

Linda attended Martin High School and received her CNA certification where she worked for many years caring for others.

The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to Linda. She loved to spend time with family cooking out, going to yard sales and thrift stores as well as caring for her pets, Baby Girl and Chance. She had an uncanny ability to find happiness in her daily activities. Her personality was contagious to everyone she met. She will be deeply missed by the people who knew and loved her.

Linda is predeceased by her daughter, Debbie Annette Palmer. son. Randy Ray Robertson. brothers, James Payton, Johnny Payton, Larry Payton and Raymond Payton.

She is survived by daughter, Tammy Guthrie, sisters, Shirley Self and Sandy Spivey, brother, Charles Payton, grandchildren, Jason Guthrie, Nathan Guthrie, Ashley Guthrie, Kassi Dunaway and Tiffany Palmer, 16 great grandchildren and a host of devoted nieces, nephew's and cousins.

Visitation will be held at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home and Gardens in Trussville, 1591 Gadsden Hwy, Birming ham, Alabama on Tuesday, October 4th. @ 1pm. Chapel Services @ 2pm. with Graveside immediately following.

Olene Borden Butts

august 27, 1927 ~ october 1, 2022 (age 95)

Olene Borden Butts, age 95, of Helena, Alabama passed away Saturday Octo ber 1st, 2022. There will be graveside service at Jefferson Memorial at 12:00 noon Wednesday, October 5th. She is survived by daughter Dianne Butts, son Dennis Butts, daughter-in-law Melinda Butts, grandchildren Melanie Trimble and her husband Robert Trimble, John Butts and his wife Jordin Butts, and Matthew Butts and great-grandson Benjamin Butts and godsons Joseph and Adam Laird. She was preceded in death by her husband, Austin Butts.

James Lee Sapp

september 21, 2022 ~ september 21, 2022

St. Vincent’s Hospital – Birmingham, AL James Lee Sapp was a beautiful baby with a head full of brown hair. James weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 20 inches long.

James is survived by his parents, Tyler Lee and Mary Grant Sapp (Trussville, AL); grandparents, Lee and Kim berley Sapp (Bainbridge, GA), Jack and Rosemary McKibben (Dothan, AL); and Great-Grandmother, Rose Grant (Dothan, AL). Others include Uncles and Aunts, Drew and Brittany McKibben (Dothan, AL), Cory McKibben and Mary Ashley Kinney (Pike Road, AL), Ryan and Brianna Connell (Cairo, GA), Wes and Tara Grant (Dothan, AL), Gina Grant (Dothan, AL), Linda Faye Johnston (Bainbridge, GA), Pat and Beth Sanders (Vestavia, AL); and cousins, Sydney and Macy McKibben (Dothan, AL).

Family members preceded James are Great-Grandparents, James W. Grant, III, Andy and Earline McKibben, Maruice Vernon and Ellen Denise Merrit, and John Henry and Vera Sapp.

Graveside services will be held at Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville, AL on Friday, September 30, 2022, at 10:00. He will be laid to rest at the Gardens of The Trinity. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the March of Dimes.

A heart of gold stopped beating,

By Bobby Mathews Special For The Tribune

TRUSSVILLE — Every game in 7A Region 3 is tough, but Hewitt-Trussville didn’t expect to be down 16-0 to Vestavia Hills with time tick ing down in the first quarter. Disaster flirted with the Huskies in that first quarter as the Rebels marched down the field and scored on a two-yard pass from John Paul Head to Lane Whisenhunt to go up 7-0 with 8:38 left in the first quarter.

The Huskies started their first possession of the game from their 12-yard line, going three-and-out, but the punt went awry as the snap sailed over Riley Rigg’s head and out of the end zone for a safe ty.

On Vestavia’s next pos session, Head capped off a four-play Rebels drive with a 24-yard pass to Warren Ainsworth. After the PAT, it was 16-0 Rebels with 6:17 left in the first, and things were not looking good for the Huskies.

But this team is nothing if not resilient. Hewitt-Truss ville got back in business with a 26-yard touchdown run — on fourth-and-8 no less — by quarterback Peyton Floyd. Riley Rigg’s extra point was good, and Hewitt trailed 16-7 with 36 seconds left in the first.

Floyd would strike again to pull the Huskies within two when he went around the right side and absolutely de molished a Vestavia defender, crashing into the end zone for his second rushing score of

the night.

The Huskies were within two points, 16-14, and they earned their first lead of the game with 6:38 left in the sec ond when Floyd found Brett Moseley for a 17-yard touch down pass. Rigg added the extra point, and the Huskies were up 21-16.

Vestavia wouldn’t go qui etly, however. They answered by marching right back down the field on a five-play drive capped by a one-yard run by Head to make it 23-17 with 4:57 left until halftime.

Hewitt answered with a six-play drive that ended when Jaqson Melton found paydirt from 14 yards out. Rigg’s PAT made it 28-23, and now momentum was squarely in the corner of the Huskies.

Floyd directed one more scoring drive before the half, finding Donovan Price on a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-23. With time winding down in the half and Vestavia driving, senior de fensive back Rickey Gibson intercepted a Head pass in the end zone to end the half.

The second half featured more back-and-forth action, with Rigg adding a 27-yard field goal to make it 38-23 with 3:41 left in the quarter, while Vestavia clawed back

Center Point stuns Pinson Valley, 29-22

By Joe Crowe For the Tribune

CENTER POINT — The Center Point Eagles notched touchdown after touchdown in the first quarter, then the Pinson Valley Indians spent the rest of the game catching up, only to fall one touch down short Friday night as Center Point Eagles stunned Pinson Valley, 29-22.

The first quarter was es sentially a Center Point high light reel, as Deon Moore ran 50 yards for a touchdown, fewer than three minutes into the game. Senior quar terback Jabari Collier fol lowed with a touchdown less than one minute later. Then, with just over two minutes remaining in the first quar

ter, Collier hurtled across the field for a mind-blowing 99yard touchdown run.

Kicker Antonio Sebastian also had a tremendous first quarter, with a perfect record of three kicks resulting in three extra points. Sebastian then started off the second quarter with a field goal, put ting Center Point up 23-0.

Center Point would not put points on the board again until the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Pinson Val ley got down to business, as Cameron Jennings complet ed a pass to Keywone Posey.

The point after from Damian Gonzalez was good, putting the Indians on the board, 237.

Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Peyton Floyd drops back for a pass Friday, October 7. (Photo by Hannah Curran)

Jabari Collier File Photo (By Ron Burkett)

Brandon

Leeds crams it down Alexandria’s throat, 23-7

Moody rolls over St. Clair County, game ends in controversy

By Johnny Sanders For The Tribune

ODENVILLE — Moody has claimed to own 411 all year and Friday night, they got a chance to prove it against St. Clair County. And prove it they did. The Blue Devils improved to 8-0 heading into a monster rivalry game against Leeds (also 8-0) this coming Friday night, for the 5A Region 6 lead.

The game did have a downside, however, as Jaxon Huckeba was lost for the sea son with a serious leg injury, and directly after the game, tempers flared among the coaching staffs, forcing local police to clear the field.

On the first drive, Moody turned the ball over on downs to give the Saints good field position at the 45-yard line. On the first play, Ryan Park er busted up the middle for 33 yards and St Clair was in business at the 12-yard line. However, on the next play, quarterback Nigel Dowdell fumbled the ball and Moody took over from there.

The Blue Devils mounted a long drive capped off by an 11-yard burst by Blaine Burke to put Moody on the board first, 7-0. After holding St. Clair to a punt, Moody scored on a Cole McCarty pass to Kolby Seymour from 25 yards out, ending the first frame with the Blue Devils up 14-0.

Moody’s 12th Man, who has followed them and packed out every away stadium this year, was amped up at this point and there was no stop ping them in the second quar ter. With 9:15 to go, McCarty found Burke for a seven-yard strike to extend the lead to 210. After another 3-and-out for St Clair, McCarty connected again with Seymour, this time from ten yards out.

Moody got the ball back after another Saints punt and McCarty hooked up with an other target, Aidan Robinson, for a 26-yard touchdown, ending the half 35-0 Moody’s way.

A pair of injuries clouded the first half of play. First,

By Loyd McIntosh Sports Editor

ALEXANDRIA — Leeds ran the ball, and ran it some more, en route to an impressive 23-7 win over the Alexandria Valley Cubs Fri day night.

Head Coach Jerry Hood brought his Green Wave squad into Alexandria rid ing a six-game winning streak and their rivalry game against next-door neighbor Moody looming next week. Add in the fact that Leeds has had trouble with the Val ley Cubs in recent years, and

you had the making of a clas sic trap game.

Leeds was ready.

Green Wave ball carri ers, Conner Nelson, Jeremi ah Hunter, and Jarod Latta, pounded the ball straight up the gut all night long, daring Alexandria to try to stop them. The Green Wave racked up 301 total yards on offense, 219 of those yards coming on the ground on 42 rushes. Sophomore quarter back Nelson led Leeds with 117 yards on 14 rushes and two touchdowns on a night when the Green Wave run game was on point.

“Our run game is unstop pable,” said Nelson after the game. “We got three good runners and with our line blocking, nobody can really stop us.”

Leeds received the open ing kickoff and only needed seven plays to put up the game’s first score, a fouryard touchdown run by Nel son with 7:56 left to play in the first quarter. The Green Wave defense contributed early as well, pouncing on a fumble by running back Ty Brown on Alexandria’s third play of the game, the first of five turnovers forced by the

Leeds defense.

Starting their second drive from the Valley Cub’s 40-yard-line, Leeds attempt ed to take quick advantage of the turnover going to the air. However, Leeds was forced to settle on a 31-yard field goal by Jackson Arthur af ter two straight incomplete passes stalled the drive on the Alexandria 14-yard line. With the first quarter barely half over, Leeds led 10-0. Alexandria responded on their next possession, start ing with excellent field posi

Leeds running back Jeremiah Hunter lunges for yardage during Leeds' 23-7 victory over the Alexandria Valley Cubs. (Photo by Loyd McIntosh).

Moody quarterback Cole McCarty leading the Blue Devil offense against St. Clair County, October 8, 2022. (Photo by Hannah Curran)

Clay-Chalkville destroys Huffman

By Brittney Bailey For The Tribune

CLAY-CHALKVILLE–

The Clay-Chalkville Cougars dominated Huffman 62-0 at home Friday night, adding one more victory to the win column.

for a two-point conversion as Daniel Diaz kicked the extra point to put Clay-Chalkville on top early 7-0.

The Cougars added on an other touchdown at the 1:23 mark as Kamari McClellan found Jaylen Mbakwe for a 43-yarder and another suc

as well, never allowing the Vikings into Cougar territo ry, and scoring on a fumble recovery by Ormond Wallace to extend the lead to 28-0.

Twenty seconds late Ka mari McClellan found Mario Craver for a 26-yard touch down to give the Cougars a 35-0 lead.

McClellan found Craver yet again in the second quar ter on a seven-yard pass to put the Cougars up 42-0. In the third quarter Osley split for a 67-yard touchdown run with less than a minute off the clock to start the second half, 49-0. At that point, the night was over for McClellan and other starters.

“I thought we played a lot cleaner tonight, I thought of fensively and defensively we played good,” Head Coach Drew Gilmer said on his team’s performance tonight.

Shades Valley gets region win over Pell City

By John Goolsby For The Tribune

the Panthers out of the end zone. The Mounties took over on downs with 3:04 remaining in the half.

version attempt.

The Cougars wasted no time putting points on the board. With just under three minutes off the clock, Aar on Osley scored on a 61yard touchdown run for six. Against normal behavior, the Cougars decided not to go

cessful PAT, 14-0.

Mbakwe lit up the second quarter as well with a 59yard punt return for another six, followed by another PAT from Diaz to put the Cougars up 21-0. The Cougar defense turned in a great performance

Kamari McClellan led the Cougar offense completing eight of 11 passing attempts, for 142 yards and 3 touch downs. Aaron Osley had six carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns and Alabama commit Jaylen Mbakwe had two receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown.

The Cougars take on Ox ford next Friday at home, Oc tober 14th at 7:00 pm.

Hewitt-Trussville Huskies earn Player of the Week honors

No it wasn’t pretty, and, no, the defense struggled, but the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies overcame an early 16-0 defi cit to defeat the Vestavia Hill Rebels Friday, October 4, 4537. The Huskies put up 525 yards of total offense while coming up with some key stops on defense on the night, improving to 5-3 overall, 3-2 in 7A Region 3 action.

Shades Valley’s Steve Brown is the Player of the Weeek

Shades Valley quarterback Steve Brown had a monster of a game Friday, October 4, leading the Mounties to a 3529 win over the Pell City Pan thers. Brown completed 18 of his 30 pass attempts for 305 yards and amassed an additio na 103 yards on the ground, for an eye-popping 408 to tal yards. A senior listed at six feet, two inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, Brown will lead the Mounties in key a 6A Region 6 matchup with Pinson Valley on Friday, Oc tober 14.

IRONDALE — Shades Valley (5-2, 2-2) hung on in the fourth quarter to pull out a 35-29 victory over Pell City (0-7, 0-4) in Class 6A, Region 6 play. The Homecoming win keeps Shades Valley’s playoff hopes alive.

Running back Micah Thomas opened the scoring on a one-yard run, putting the Mounties up 7-0 with 7:39 re maining in the first period fol lowing the Jair Aguilar extra point.

The Panthers' offense was unable to get on track ear ly and was forced to punt on their first two drives.

Following a Mountie fum ble near midfield, Pell City put together a scoring drive that ended with a 37-yard field goal by Jake Blackstone. Shades Valley led 7-3 with 36 seconds remaining in the quar ter. With 11:16 remaining in the half, the Mounties extend ed their lead to 14-3 on a 41yard completion to Christian Thomas from Steve Brown.

Pell City responded, put ting together a 15-play drive, and moving to the Valley twoyard line. The Mountie de fense, with the help of a John ny Steele tackle for loss, held

The two teams headed to the half with the Mounties holding a 14-3 lead. Shades Valley opened the second half with a 52-yard run by Micah Thomas, but a penalty nulli fied the play and the Mountie drive stalled.

Shades Valley extended the lead to 21-3 on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Korda’e Harper with 6:19 to play in the 3rd quarter. Pell City answered back a minute later on a 52-yard touchdown run by Carlos Herring. Jacob Mahand blocked the extra point, and Shades Valley held a 21-9 lead with 5:14 remain ing in the quarter.

Shades Valley’s offense went on a six-play 85-yard drive and scored on an 11-yard pass from Brown to Ji’Quez Daniel. The Mounties led 289, with 3:19 in the third quar ter.

The Panther offense put together a nine-play, 70-yard drive. James Lucas cut the Valley lead to 28-15 on a fiveyard run with 9 seconds re maining in the period. Shades Valley cornerback Kendall Odom came up with the inter ception on the two-point con

Pell City drew within six points on a 59-yard touch down pass from Gross to Her ring cutting the Mounties’ lead to 28-22 with five minutes re maining in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Christian Thomas took the ball at the two-yard line and raced 98 yards to give Valley a 35-22 lead with 4:40 seconds remaining. Pell City then put together a nine-play scoring drive to again pull within six with 2:16 remaining.

The Panther’s onside kick failed, and the Mounties picked up a key first down on a scramble by Brown on 3rd down. Christian Thom as sealed the victory with a darting 26-yard run for a first down. Valley then ran the clock out to secure the win.

Head Coach Rueben Nel son was pragmatic about the win. “We’ve just got to get better,” he said. “I’m proud of them, but we have just got to get better.”

Brown completed 18 of 30 passing attempts for 305 yards and 103 yards on the ground on nine carries, accounting for 408 yards of the Mounties' output on offense.

The Mounties travel to Pinson Valley next week for a huge Region 6 matchup.

At the shops of grandriver

Shades Valley quarterback Steve Brown launches a pass while evading a rushing Pell City defense. (Photo by Ron Burkett).

Clay-Chalkville quarterback Kamari McClellan scanning the field during the Cougar's 62-0 rout of Huffman. (Photo by Ron Burkett)

Steve Brown - Player of the Week (Photo by Ron Burkett)

Hewitt-Trussville - Team of the Week (Photo by Hannah Curran)

tion near midfield thanks to a facemask penalty on Leeds during the kickoff return. Af ter gaining just 17 yards on their next seven plays, Alex andria quarterback Ty Bark er hit TK Downey on a slant route for a 35-yard touch down, to bring the score to within three points with 25 left in the first quarter, 10-7.

That would be as close as Alexandria would get.

Leeds responded with a 10-point second quarter, be ginning with another 31-yard field goal by Arthur with 5:45 left in the second quar ter. On the Cub’s next drive, the Leeds defense came up big again as Zaine Hood in tercepted a Barker pass at the Alexandria 42-yard-line.

Again, Leeds took advan tage of the Alexandria turn over responding with a fourplay drive capped off with a 20-yard touchdown run by Nelson with just 2:32 to play

in the first half.

Alexandria received the kickoff to begin the second half, starting the possession at their own 40-yard line. The Valley Cub’s offense put together an effective drive into the red zone. Again, the Leeds defense rose to the challenge. On a first and goal from the Leeds ten-yard line, a pass up the middle by Val ley Cubs quarterback Barker was again intercepted, this time by Josh Lee, with 7:55 to play in the third quarter

The Leeds offense took possession on their own five-yard line, methodically marching the ball down the field before the drive finally stalled at the Alexandria 19yard line. Arthur added three more points on a 36-yard field goal, to push the score to 23-7. However, more im portantly, Leeds gobbled up more than seven minutes leaving just 17 seconds to play in the third quarter, put ting the game out of reach.

“That's what champion

ship football teams do,” said Hood of the 14-play, sev en-minute, thirty-eight-sec ond drive. “We just talked to our kids and said 'just exe cute. Don't worry about any thing else, just get another first down. We have a good lead, let's play like it.’"

With the victory over Al exandria, Leeds improves to 7-0, 4-0 in 5A Region 6 play. Hood said the win was an important one as they head into their annual rivalry game with Moody, also un defeated, next Friday, Octo ber 14.

“This was a win that you need to have. If you don’t win this now you’re fighting up hill because Moody’s a great team,” Hood said. “We’ll do what we do. We’ve looked at Moody a lot and we’ll just do the best we can. They’ve ac cumulated a great team.”

Leeds travels 6.7 miles up U.S. Highway 411 to take on Moody on Friday, Octo ber 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Flu bug hits Springville, drops heartbreaker to Lincoln

From The Tribune staff reports

SPRINGVILLE — A match-up that was Springville's best chance to get in the win column was not to be as a flu outbreak kept six Tigers starters, including quarterback Asa Morrison, out in a heartbreaking loss to Lincoln Friday night, 34-31.

Making his first start un der center was third-string quarterback Boaz Thornton. Despite the adversity, the Ti gers lined up against a Lin coln squad that came into the 5A Region 6 contest with a record of two wins and four losses, 0-3 in region play.

Mahlon Alverson scored a touchdown following a Lin conl fumble to put Springville up 7-0. Kicker Peyton Griffin put Springville up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

with the help of senior run ning back Alverson and wide receiver Noel Cox as the Ti gers mounted a scoring drive as junior Jamari Cash scored from three yards out to close the gap and the third quarter, 34-24.

adversity all week and was pleased with the many young players who suited up for Springville Friday night.

"I thought our kids played hard. It's tough because our kids did go through a lot of adversity," said Clements.

The defenses kicked into gear at this point as the Ea gles and Indians kept each other scoreless into halftime and well into the third quar ter. With 1:59 left in the third, Jennings completed a threeyard pass to Amare Thomas for another touchdown, and Jennings then added a twopoint conversion, pulling Pinson Valley to within eight points, 23-15.

The final quarter saw Center Point senior running back Troy Bruce reach the end zone with a four-yard run, setting the score at 2915. Bruce has notched tons of yards all season, but to night shared the spotlight with Collier, who led the Ea gles with 131 passing yards and 180 rushing.

With around a minute and a half remaining in the

game, Pinson Valley scored again, as Jennings completed yet another pass for a touch down, this time to Rod Ivey, cutting Center Point’s lead to seven. However, Center Point outlasted the Indians in the remaining moments, set ting the final score at Center Point 29, Pinson Valley 22.

Center Point’s promotion from 5A to 6A came with gloomy predictions about the Eagles’ fate, but Coach George Bates, his staff, and the players appear to be gain ing motivation and momen tum.

“We’ve been the little brother for so long,” said Coach Bates, who added that the team’s “word of the week” was “desiderate,” which he said means, “We want more.”

“We weren’t just satisfied with just making the play offs in 6A. So in two weeks, we want more. We’ve got a

chance to win a first-round playoff game, so we’re very excited,” Bates said.

Ron Bligh, the Eagles’ offensive and defensive line coach, said that one key to the win was Bates. “When you got a guy like Coach Bates leading the team, you go into every game think ing anything’s possible. The kids buy into him, they’d go through a wall for that guy. I would go through a wall for that guy.”

Pinson Valley Head Coach Lee Guess was not available for comment fol lowing the game.

With the win, Center Point improves to 7-1, 4-1 in 6A Region 6 play. They have a bye next week and will Oxford on October 21 in their final region game of the season. Pinson Valley falls to 4-3 overall, 2-2 in region ac tion, and hosts Shades Valley on Friday, October 14.

Lincoln dominated the second quarter, leading at halftime, 20-10.

Thorton led the Tigers on an 80-yard drive and a touch down pass to senior Baylor Sandlin to close the gap, 2017. Lincoln responded with two touchdowns to extend the lead to 17, 34-17.

The Tigers fired back

Hewitt

behind a 12-play drive that saw Head dive in from the one with eight seconds remaining in the third. That made it 3830, and the Rebels were still within striking distance.

Hewitt-Trussville had an answer, however. Jaqson Melton, who ran the ball 29 times for 152 yards, scored his second touchdown of the game — this one from one yard out — to put the Huskies up 45-30.

Moody

Seymour left the game with an apparent ankle injury late in the second quarter. Later in the second quarter, Moody’s Huckeba went down with a very serious leg injury that re quired him to be carted off the field and taken to the hospital by ambulance.

St Clair got the ball to start the second half, but the results were still the same as Moody’s defense continued to dominate. Burke (16 car ries for 126 yards, 1 rushing and 1 receiving touchdown) and McCarty (14 of 21 for 165 yards and 5 touchdowns) got one final drive in the game, finishing with McCa rty finding Davion Dozier from 16 yards out.

St Clair County found success running the ball in

After “Big” Jake Conner intercepted a Lincoln pass in fourth quarter, Maylon Alver son scored on a seven-yard touchdown with 3:37 left in the game, but were unable to complete the comeback. Final score, Lincoln 34, Springville 31.

Clements said, despite the loss, he is incredibly proud of how the team fought through

“I really give thanks to the line,” Melton said. “They open up the holes. We knew from the film they (Vestavia) were going to flow hard on the jet sweeps and the buck.”

Vestavia pulled close again, nipping at the Huskies’ heels via a seven-play drive finished with a one-yard dive by the Rebels’ Jack Lockhard to make it 45-37 Huskies.

Hewitt-Trussville took the ball down the field on their final possession of the game, forcing Vestavia to use time outs. After Floyd dived for a

the fourth quarter, getting long touchdown runs from Dowdell (23 yards) and Timothy Jones (54 yards) to make it a final of 42-14.

Then the fireworks would start at this point. After the post-game handshakes, some heated words were exchanged between coach es leading to the authorities getting involved, separat ing both teams and forcing Moody coaches and players to leave the field. One coach had to be held back by sever al of his fellow coaches.

When asked about the altercation, Moody Head Coach Jake Ganus said, “some frustration came out. It was more coaches than players. Our SROs did a great job getting us out of there. At the end of the day, we’re competitive; they’re competitive. They love their

"Everybody's been through it this week, and they never quit. They kept showing up to practice, they kept doing what we asked them to do, and we had guys playing in places that they didn't need to be."

Springville will return to action at home on Friday, Oc tober 21, in a region matchup with St. Clair County.

first down at the Rebels’ oneyard line, the Huskies were able to use the victory forma tion and run out the clock on Vestavia’s dreams of an upset.

The victory puts HewittTrussville in a prime spot to make yet another playoff ap pearance.

“It’s hard to get in the play offs, but there’s something spe cial about this group, and I told them that after the game,” said Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd. “You get down 16 to nothing like we did, and guys had to make plays.”

kids; we love our kids and sometimes aggression comes out.”

Asked about how his team has avoided letdowns to this point, Coach Ganus said, “We preach to the kids that it’s always about us. If we make it about the oppo nent or how big the game is, I think you’re beat before you get there. It’s trusting the process, film, meetings, ice baths… Our kids have really embraced that.”

Moody welcomes Leeds to The Bill next Friday night in a regional game of unbeat en teams.

“We’ll be ready. We’ve got a lot of work to do before we get there,” Coach Ganus said when asked about the upcoming game with Leeds, “we will just prepare for that game as best we can. They are a great team, obviously.”

Steve Brown, quarterback, Shades Valley High School

Springville Running Back Mahlon Alverson - File Photo (Photo by Ron Burkett)